The food loving people of the provincial capital appear unaware that the meat they are purchasing from the markets is the meat of sick and infected chickens, according to The Nation.

It was observed that there are chicken sale shops in almost all the markets of the City which have been identified as major sources of environmental pollution in the surrounding localities due to insufficient cleaning arrangements.

The chicken meat vendors and shopkeepers admitted to the purchase and sale of sick chickens but claim that they are not responsible because they just are selling the meat to earn money.

In fact, the poultry farm owners or wholesale chicken dealers are responsible for supply of such sick chicken in the markets, they said, adding that perhaps they were compelled to do so in order to fulfill the growing demand of meat in the city.

The vendors disclosed that some poultry farm owners identified mostly small chicken infected with some unidentified virus which are yet to be diagnosed by the concerned government departments. But the practice of sale of infected chicken sale is continued unchecked by health officials as well as food departments.

In this regard, buyers and consumers criticised the government, saying that it is the responsibility of the government and its departments to check the quality of edibles including meat before supply to markets because they do not know whether they are purchasing healthy meat or infected ones.

In this regard, poultry and vaccination expert Dr Tahir Yaqoob said that vaccines to control the virus in chickens have been prepared but the authorities concerned have not permitted the application of such vaccines.